Family Fun at Vermont’s Lake Champlain

Nearly half the western side of Vermont is separated from neighboring New York by Lake Champlain, the largest lake in the Northeast. With all this water, you can be sure to find plenty of activities here for your family travels.

From a base in Burlington, Vermont’s largest city, you have access to swimming, sailing, cruises, kayaking and lakeside cycling trails. Between Thayer Beach in Colchester to the north and Red Rocks Park in South Burlington, there are more than half a dozen public swimming beaches. Right in the center of town is Waterfront Park, where you can take sailing lessons or rent canoes and kayaks.

Four Vermont state parks close to Burlington also feature sandy swimming beaches. The closest is Sand Bar State Park, where the 2,000-foot-long beach has a shallow drop-off, making it especially good for small children. You can rent boats and sailboards here and at the beach in Knight Point State Park, on North Hero Island.

If your family enjoys fishing, Grand Isle State Park on Grand Isle, and Kamp Kill Kare State Park and Burton Island State Park, both in St. Albans, offer good shore fishing and sandy beaches. Knight Point, Burton Island and Grand Isle state parks have campgrounds, as well.

Explore the Champlain islands, north of Burlington, on a daytrip; the islands also make a good base for a family vacation, with plenty of resorts, inns and campgrounds. Along with beaches and outdoor sports, kids will love a stop at Hackett’s Orchard on South Hero Island, for cider slush and cider doughnuts. In late summer and fall, pick your own apples there. On Grand Isle, visit the historic Hyde Log Cabin, built in 1783 and one of America’s oldest log cabins.

Farther south along the lake, Button Bay State Park lies in Ferrisburgh, near Vergennes. There’s no beach, but the campground includes a swimming pool with lifeguards. The nature center’s programs for children include night hikes, nature crafts, games and campfire programs.

At Lake Champlain Maritime Museum in Basin Harbor, learn how a naval battle on Lake Champlain changed the outcome of the American Revolution. Kids can try on a diver’s helmet and tour a canal schooner, while teens can sign up for an overnight kayak camping expedition on the lake.

Kids will want to keep a sharp eye out for Champy, Lake Champlain’s 20-foot sea serpent, reported to have been spotted by passengers on Spirit of Ethan Allen III, which makes several sightseeing cruises daily from Burlington. Another way to see the lake is on one of the ferries crossing the lake to New York, departing from Burlington, Charlotte, and Grand Isle.

Learn more about Lake Champlain’s wildlife, ecology and history at ECHO Leahy Center, at Waterfront Park in Burlington. Interactive and live exhibits are geared to various ages, with one section designed specifically for young children.

Waterfront Park borders the lake with a boardwalk and an eight-mile bike path through a grassy park. Although Burlington has plenty of child-friendly restaurants, a favorite for families is a picnic in one of the parks along the lake. Return in the evening to watch Vermont’s most beautiful sunsets reflected in the lake.